William Penn State Forest

Named for the founder of “Penn’s Woods,” William Penn State Forest contains 901 acres in five separate tracts across southeastern PA. The forest protects and conserves unique Pennsylvania ecosystems, including the:

Goat Hill Serpentine Barrens

Little Tinicum Island on the Delaware River

William Penn State Forest Management

DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry manages our state forests for their long-term health and productivity while conserving native wild plants. These forests are “working forests” and provide a whole suite of uses and values to Pennsylvania citizens, all while maintaining the forest’s wild character.

2017 Management Activities

Ecosystem Management

The Bureau of Forestry has adopted “ecosystem management” as its principal strategy for managing state forests. This approach seeks to conserve the natural patterns and processes of the forest while advancing long-term sustainability.

Ecosystem management promotes the conservation of plant and animal communities and the landscapes and habitats that support them. It also accounts for needs and values of people and communities.

This results in a holistic, integrated approach to managing forest resources.

A Working Forest

As you travel throughout the state forest, you’ll see examples of our forests “at work.” Some of these management practices are more noticeable than others, such as:

Active timber harvests

Deer exclosure fences

Natural gas drilling sites

Prescribed fires

Gypsy moth spraying

Others are more subtle, such as the:

Protection of a vernal pool

Buffering of a stream from timber harvesting

Setting aside of a special area to conserve its wild character or protect a rare plant community

Each of these management practices and activities play a vital role in the management and conservation of our state forest system.

Certified “Well Managed”

Pennsylvania’s 2.2-million-acre state forest system is one the largest certified forests in North America. The forest is certified (FSC-C017154) under the Forest Stewardship Council™ standards. The FSC® is an independent organization supporting environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests.